1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safety airbag assembly for an automotive vehicle, and particularly to a passenger side airbag assembly that includes a homogeneous one-piece plastic cover formed separately from the associated instrument panel. The cover conceals an airbag canister and an air conditioner duct extending alongside the canister. An opening in the cover is operable to direct conditioned air from the duct into the passenger compartment.
2. Description of Prior Developments
In many automotive vehicles the passenger side airbag canister is concealed behind an instrument panel that has hidden score lines or perforations typically configured in an "H" shaped pattern to outline an openable door in alignment with the airbag canister. When the airbag is deployed, the instrument panel is ruptured along the score lines, whereby the door is opened to permit the inflated airbag to expand through the door opening into the passenger compartment. If the cover is formed as a solid plastic molding without any surface covering such as a foam or plastic skin, the score lines formed on the inside surface of the cover causes grooves and other surface imperfections to form on the outer surface of the cover. This presents a significant drawback as far as the appearance of the cover is concerned.